


Phil's Sons

by BeccaIsHigh



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Mentioned Alexis | Quackity, Mentioned Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Not Canon Compliant, Probably ooc, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:49:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28294839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaIsHigh/pseuds/BeccaIsHigh
Summary: After his sons' letters stop arriving, Phil decides to take matters into his own hands and pay them a visit. However, he isn't prepared to see the damage that war and factions have done to his children.
Relationships: Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, all platonic and familiar, anything else and i'll cut u, in a video game
Comments: 4
Kudos: 178





	Phil's Sons

**Author's Note:**

> Hello this is my first Dream SMP story! I'm still writing MCU stuff, dw! Anyway, needed to write something different, and this idea has been floating around for weeks. Hope you enjoy!!!

When the letters slowed, Phil initially thought nothing of it. He decided that it must be because his sons were getting older, the need to speak with their father decreasing. He would be lying if he said that watching the letters come once a week, then once every few weeks, to one every couple months didn't hurt. But that was all it was. Hurt.

At three months of silence, Phil began to worry.

At five, he began to panic.

At seven, he decided to take things into his own hands.

Phil knew something was wrong. They were always a close family, and silences like this were unheard of. He had to find his sons.

He wasn't sure where they were specifically, only knowing that they occupied Dream's territory. It was at least a three-day flight in the best possible weather, and even then, Dream's lands were massive, it would take another day or two to figure out where they would be. Still, Phil knew he had to bite the bullet, and after one too many sleepless nights, he packed a bag and set off flying.

~~~

After hours of flying for days on end, Phil spotted the start of Dream's territory. He saw that it was no longer whole, however. Small settlements had sprung up, splitting the land mass. He landed, taking a moment to sit on the soft grass and catch his breath. He looked around and spotted a small bakery. Deciding that it would be the best place to start, he stood up and walked to it, opening the door and hearing a pretty bell chime. A blonde woman sitting at the front looked up at him from her book. She smiled brightly and said, "Good afternoon, how can I help you? I haven't seen you around here before." She eyed him curiously, setting her book aside and giving him her full attention.

"I'm looking for my sons, I was wondering if you might know them? I think the community here has grown a bit but, if there's any chance you know a Wilbur, Tommy, or Techno I would greatly appreciate the help," Phil said.

The woman froze for a second upon hearing the names. Finally, she muttered, "Yeah. I know them."

Phil picked up on her concern immediately. "What's wrong? Are they okay?" He asked, eyes widening and visibly worrying.

She thought for a second and said, "Help yourself to anything you want and take a seat. I'll close up shop and make us some tea. This will take a while to explain." Phil nodded, and moved to grab a few cookies before taking his seat at an old table, preparing himself for the worst.

The woman, Niki, as he learned, told him everything. She told him about the wars his sons had seen, the struggles they had faced, their political uprisings and downfalls. She told him about Wilbur's decaying mental state and Tommy's anxiety. She told him about Techno and his unpredictable loyalties. She explained the new countries, factions, and rulers. By the end of their conversation, the sky was dark, and Phil knew everything.

"I can take you to see them in the morning. I know where they are," Niki said, finally sitting up and stretching.

Phil stood and stretched with her, thanking her for the help and taking her up on the offer. Niki let him spend the night in her cottage, and the two shared stories as they walked the streets, easing each other's anxiety.

The two of them set out early the next morning after eating a warm breakfast that Phil had cooked. Their first stop was Techno's house. It was secluded from the rest of society, and would take an ordinary person half an hour to walk out to. Fortunately, Phil had wings, and Niki was light enough to sit on his back. They reached the large building in record time, Niki shakily climbing off of Phil and bursting into a fit of giggles. The two walked up, and Phil knocked on the door.

Techno's ears twitched as he heard a loud knock on his door. He stopped cutting up potatoes for his soup and pondered who would come to visit him. On his way to the door, he grabbed a diamond sword, and opened the door a crack, making sure that his weapon was not visible. Upon seeing Niki and Phil, the sword fell with a sharp clang, and the door was swung wide open, Phil being tackled in a hug.

Phil's heart sunk when he saw Techno, and he was immediately unsettled when he was hugged so quickly. Techno hadn't done that for _years_.

The two held each other for a few moments, Phil comforting Techno the same way he always did when Techno was a small child, crying over nightmares. When they finally split, Techno invited the two inside. Phil was taken aback at the beauty of Techno's house. It was simple, yet every room was adorned with gold accents. Techno was half piglin, his biological love for gold still apparent in everything he made. They sat at Techno's dining table, Phil starting the conversation. "Techno, is everything okay? I haven't heard from you in so long. What's going on?"

"There's been... a lot. How much do you know?" Techno responded, looking away from the others.

"Enough to know that your lives haven't been the best. It's visible that you've been stressed, Techno. Your eyes look dull and your hair isn't the same hot pink it was when you left. It's gotten lighter. When was the last time you got a good night's rest?" Phil reached out, gently taking Techno's hand and trying to communicate that he was worried.

"I don't remember. I'm fine, dad. Sorry for not writing. It's been busy, I'm doing okay."

"I'm not mad at you for writing less, son. I know you've been through some shit. You need to take a break. Please, just give yourself time to rest. I was worried that you finally picked a fight you couldn't win."

"I can't rest now, Wil and Tommy need me. They're trying to get control back. They want to restore L'manberg and it means so much to them. I can't just leave them."

Phil thought for a moment and Niki excused herself to give the two some privacy.

Phil finally broke the silence. "What do you want, Techno? What do you get out of this? Niki told me that your loyalties have been... interesting recently."

"I don't know dad, Wilbur's going off the deep end and Tommy... Tommy wouldn't speak to me for all the diamonds in the world."

"Because of the Tubbo thing?"

"Yes."

Phil nodded, squeezing Techno's hand. He knew his son always had trouble with admitting he was wrong or making amends. He could tell that Techno was aware he made the wrong decision, but wasn't able to apologize for it yet. "Tell you what, I'll have a conversation with your brothers, and see where you're all at. Maybe then we can work something out together. Is that okay?" Phil asked.

"I doubt Tommy will want to even talk about me. And if you can even get one logical thing to come out of Wil's mouth, I'll give you my entire armory."

"Yes or no, Techno. Do you want to have a meeting with everyone?"

Techno let out a sigh. "Yes. I want that so much. But it won't go well. No matter what, it'll go wrong."

"You can't be so sure of that Techno. Here, I'll speak to your brothers later and figure out where they're at mentally. Then I'll decide on what we could do, and I'll come back here and discuss it with you."

Techno nodded, "Okay, dad."

Phil smiled, and steered the conversation away from the current topic, turning it toward light-hearted catching up. The two invited Niki back over and they swapped stories about their current lives. Phil smiled as Techno passionately showcased his new weapons, knowing that the little kid he once knew was still very much around. Hope settled in his chest. Techno could be okay.

~~~

The intent was to only stay a few hours with Techno at most, however the plan changed when a downpour occurred in the afternoon, making it impossible for Phil and Niki to travel to their next location without getting drenched. They stayed with Techno that night, in his strangely cozy house. The next morning, the two set off for Wilbur in Pogtopia.

Phil was slightly horrified to find Wilbur living in what was essentially a deluxe cave. Niki reassured him and let him in.

"Who is it?" Wilbur shouted from below. He thought that maybe it would be Tommy finally crawling back to him. Or maybe Niki came to visit with another cake. Did Techno finish his new sword so quickly? Wilbur ran up the stairs and felt shock course through his body when his eyes met Phil's.

The two stared for a bit before Wil wrapped Phil in a big hug. Phil held him back as best he could, listening to Wilbur frantically apologize for the lack of letters. Phil soothed him, assuring him that he wasn't mad, just worried. The two unwrapped from each other and Wilbur invited Phil and Niki to take a seat in his room.

It was immediately apparent to Phil that Wilbur was not himself. He was fidgety, and looked paranoid, as if he was constantly worried that something bad would happen. If Phil's heart sunk at the sight of Techno, it cracked at the sight of Wilbur. Still, he knew he had to press, and he finally said, "What's freaking you out?"

"Nothing! I'm fine, sorry, just a tad bit on my toes recently!" Wilbur responded, his tone just off enough that Phil and Niki could detect it.

"No Wil, there's something else going on." Phil's tone left no room for argument.

"I swear, dad, it's just the paranoia from Schlatt, don't worry."

Phil sighed, realizing he had to bring out the big guns, and asked, "How's Tommy?"

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. After what felt like hours, Wilbur said, "Gone. He'll come crawling back to me once he gathers his wits, but he's just being overdramatic as usual. It's fine. We're fine." The last bits of his statement felt like they were said more to reassure himself than the others in the room.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Phil asked, attempting to pry as far as possible without scaring Wilbur off.

"He just got a bit upset when Tubbo was executed at the festival. I can understand why but it wasn't as big a deal as he's making it out to be." Wilbur sounded unsure of his own words.

"Wil, this isn't like you. When Tommy was little you always cared about what upset him, no matter how small it seemed. What changed?"

"War does shit to people, Phil. You would know. Feelings and emotions have just been... different. Certain things are more important now."

Phil nodded, his first instinct being to get Wilbur out of this place as soon as possible. He pushed the thought back, and grabbed Wil's hand instead. The two sat in silence for a bit until Phil broke the silence by saying, "Would you mind meeting up with Techno, Tommy, and I in a bit? I think we need a family meeting."

Wilbur looked terrified at the thought, and nervously said, "I don't think Tommy wants much to do with us."

"Maybe I could convince him. But would you be comfortable if we met? There's things we need to discuss."

"I could manage it."

"Alright then, I'll get back to you on that after I talk with him. Tell me what's been going on recently, have you been writing?"

And with that, Phil managed to divert the conversation to a more lighthearted area. He practically felt a wave of relief upon hearing Wilbur ramble about a new song he was working on. _Good_ , he thought, _he's still creating. Maybe there is hope_.

The three of them spoke for a bit, Wilbur gradually letting his guard down and no longer appearing as if he was being hunted. Eventually, Phil and Niki had to leave, saying their goodbyes. They promised to come around soon, and the uneasy look in Wil's eyes as they left solidified the fact that Phil needed to get him away.

~~~

Niki knew exactly where Tommy was located, even though both Techno and Wil were left in the dark. It was nearing sundown as she led Phil to a small cottage hidden deep in the woods. It was practically impossible to find unless you knew what you were looking for. The outside was pretty, but felt strangely cold. As if it was old, yet un-lived in. Niki noticed Phil's hesitancy. "They only come here to rest whenever they get the chance," She explained. 

"They?" Phil asked, cocking his head.

"Tommy and Tubbo. They built this place secretly, it's theirs."

He nodded, and watched her pull a key out from her pocket and unlock their door. "Why don't we just knock?" Phil asked.

"It's a weird rule they have. Anybody who has the key doesn't need to knock. And they prefer that we keep the noise down as much as possible, you never know who may be lurking. They're clearly paranoid, but I can't say I blame them."

Phil felt uneasy at that, worried that Wilbur's paranoia had impacted Tommy as well. Niki slid the door open and the two slipped inside, softly closing the door and locking it behind them. The house was quiet, and Niki said, "I swore that they'd be here now. Maybe they went out somewhere?"

Phil looked around and said, "I'm just going to check the rooms." Niki nodded and went to go make them some tea. Phil noticed only two doors at the small hall in the house. One was wide open, and he could see that it was a bathroom. The other was slightly ajar, and Phil inched closer. He opened the door, and was not prepared for the sight that awaited him.

If Phil's heart cracked when he saw Wilbur, it shattered when he saw Tommy.

He was fast asleep on a large bed. Cuts, bruises, and bandages littered his body. In his arms was Tubbo, pressed firmly into his chest. He was also sleeping. They both looked exhausted, far too worn from life than 16-year-olds should be. Phil took a step closer, a floorboard squeaking.

This was enough to alert Tommy, whose eyes shot open, and within seconds he had pulled out a diamond axe, one arm pulling Tubbo even closer to him. The look on his face was one Phil knew all too well. His eyes screamed: _D_ _on't you dare touch him. Hurt him and you're dead._ It was the same look Phil often bore whenever someone without the best intentions got too close to his boys.

The look, along with the axe quickly dropped when Tommy registered who was staring at him. "Phil?" He whispered in disbelief.

"It's me, Tommy," Phil responded, watching Tommy slowly let go of Tubbo, who was stirring awake. Tommy ran to Phil, hugging him and sobbing. Phil held him close, listening to the frantic apologies and fearful stories that escaped. Niki quickly appeared upon hearing the commotion, looking up at Tubbo and sharing a silent agreement to leave the family alone.

When Tommy finally let go of Phil, the two sat down on the bed. "Tommy, I've visited all three of you. You guys are a wreck. I'm worried," Phil said, concern obvious in his features.

"It's been crazy, Wil all went insane and shit. I don't know what to do, Phil."

"What are you doing this for?"

"L'manberg."

"Wil said that too, but there was clearly more. What else?"

Tommy thought for a second and said, "Tubbo. My brothers, even if they're morons. And my discs. The ones I wrote to you about when I first got here."

Phil nodded. "Why L'manberg? I can understand the other three. What's got you so passionate about it?" He asked.

"It's ours, we made it. Schlatt should never have come into power."

"Niki told me he was elected."

"Well... yes. But it wasn't fair! Big Q pooled votes with him at the last second out of desperation!"

"Was it allowed?"

"...Yes."

"I'm hearing Wilbur's words, Tommy. How's Schlatt as a leader? I knew him once, he definitely has that mentality."

"I mean L'manberg's pretty and bigger and has all these parties now. But everyone hates Schlatt, he's a dickhead. He raised Niki's taxes like crazy! And Quackity follows him like a lost puppy all the time looking for something to do to prove the fact that he has power! He was fucking stupid enough to marry Schlatt thinking he was gonna get more and now look at him! Schlatt's a prick and we deserve the country, we can fix it! People won't be miserable."

Phil listened to Tommy vent, and finally said, "What were the problems in L'manberg when you two were in charge?"

"Nothing, it was perfect. A bit ugly, but everybody was content."

"Tommy, you and Wil were way too young to go through that much shit. Hell, you're practically still a kid! If you take down Schlatt, what will you do next? Do you even have plans for any of this? And based on how you and Wil appear to be, I don't know if you could pull it off based on your lack of trust alone. Lord knows what Techno's feeling about this. Are you sure this is a good thing for you to be pursuing?"

"Schlatt's literally 21 and he's doing fine."

"Jesus that fucker does _not_ look his age. But Tommy, you didn't answer the question."

"We have to keep going. We've already sacrificed so much, it's just a bit longer until we do it. Besides, it would be a waste to stop now."

"It would be a waste for you to keep going. Don't think that you have to do something just because you've been keeping on it for so long. In the end you just waste even more."

There was a moment of hesitation before Tommy whispered, "I don't know what to do."

Phil took his hand and softly replied, "That's okay."

The two fell into silence, a non-verbal agreement made to drop the subject and return later. Phil shifted the conversation to Tubbo and how the to of them had been getting by recently. Slowly, hints of the Tommy Phil once knew were appearing. However, it was clear that Tommy wasn't quite right. Phil feared that he would never be okay again.

Tubbo and Niki joined in, and the four fell into comfortable conversation for the rest of the night. Phil brought up the meeting idea to Tommy, who surprisingly agreed quickly, revealing that he missed his brothers, even though they were "massive pricks."

Niki grew tired first, curling up into an armchair in a nest of poorly-knitted blankets (a hobby Tommy had begun practicing semi-recently). She closed her eyes and drifted off, Tommy yawning next. Tubbo led him to their room, saying goodnight to Phil and urging him to take the couch for the night. Phil accepted the offer and began to make himself comfortable. Tomorrow he would visit his other sons and plan a gathering. Maybe he could help them. Maybe they would be okay.

~~~

Morning arrived, and the group woke one by one. Tubbo hurriedly drank a cup of tea, ate a piece of toast, and hugged Tommy before rushing back to Manburg. Tommy was awoken by the hug and grumbled as he forced himself out of bed, stretching and creeping to the kitchen. Phil woke to the sounds of something dropping and hushed curses coming from the kitchen. Niki slowly opened her eyes to her stiff body protesting being curled up for a whole night.

The three ate quickly, not wanting to waste any time gathering the others. They agreed that it would be best for Tommy to join them. The group set out, going to Pogtopia first, Wilbur throwing his pride aside for once and immediately apologizing to Tommy. The brothers spoke for a bit, making amends as best they could, though it was clear tension still remained. Still, it was much better than before, and they knew that one day, it would be okay again. Everybody then went to visit Techno, enjoying casual conversation during the long walk.

Techno opened the door, surprised to see his family there, Tommy in front. Before he could say anything, Tommy spoke. "Look, I'm still pissed at you, and that won't change soon. But I'm willing to talk and maybe try ending this shit. Are you willing to do the same?"

Techno nodded, inviting everybody inside, and agreeing to having a family meeting that night. After talking for a bit, everyone dispersed to do their own task for the day, Phil escorting Niki back to her bakery and Tommy and Wilbur going to Pogtopia together.

~~~

Phil would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous as he stared at his sons in front of him. Their relationships were strained, and he had to walk on a tightrope to ensure he didn't make them worse. Slowly, he spoke up, "Alright, I've noticed a common problem around here. Ever since you all moved away and made these factions and countries, your relationships have deteriorated. Bad. I think Dream may have something to do with this, but either way, things aren't good. This is just my thought, but I think you all need to re-think your priorities, and maybe not stick around here. What are your thoughts?"

Techno spoke first. "I don't really have much attachment to anything here. Maybe this house but it can be rebuilt, I guess. It isn't that old."

Wilbur was next. "I don't know if I could just give up L'manburg like this, Phil. It's just... I made it, y'know? And I don't want to fail. I don't want to lose it."

Tommy spoke up last. "My only concerns are Tubbo and the discs. I've come to terms with losing L'manberg. It sucks, but I know better than to chase it. I wish we did things different. But my discs.. I don't want that green bitch to win. I can't give those up."

Phil listened to all of these carefully, calculating what to say. "I'm guessing Techno is on board, so I'll start with you, Wil. I understand not wanting to lose L'manberg. I know what it's like to build something from nothing and see it all end. It isn't easy. But it's hurting you. I don't know if you can see it, but it's driving you to madness. And that isn't good. You need to understand that, and it'll take a while. I can't make it happen, but I can help. Tommy, Tubbo can come with you, and I will personally shoot that green bitch if he doesn't give you your discs back. We go back far enough that he wouldn't dare to fuck with me over something like that."

The boys nodded. Wilbur replied, "I know things aren't quite right. I can feel myself going... off. You guys know me, and if it's that obvious then... maybe I'll give it a try?"

"I want to help you stab the green bitch," Tommy said.

Phil smiled. "Do you guys want to maybe build a settlement outside of Dream's territory? It'll be close enough where you can visit your friends, but far enough where Dream and Schlatt will leave you alone. We can always try?"

Everyone agreed, albeit hesitantly and lacking confidence. Phil could tell that they were all scared, even Techno. But he knew that their agreements were genuine. "Then we'll try," Phil said, smiling at them. They pulled into a big group hug, their first in years. It was how they always ended their family meetings.

As the family broke apart, Wilbur said, "Can we ask Niki to come with? She's is miserable here, I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Of course, she's a very sweet girl. Anybody you want to take that you know is good can come," Phil said.

Everybody slept well that night, knowing that their family was on the way to becoming what it once was.

~~~

Things were looking up. The family had begun building their houses the very next day, and invited Niki and Tubbo to join. Both enthusiastically agreed. Phil brought Techno and Tommy to visit Dream, Phil sternly demanding that he return Tommy's discs. His sons held axes, staring him down. Dream's survival instincts overrode his sadism, and he reluctantly handed Tommy the discs.

A few weeks passed, and the group had built a small community. They visited their friends on occasion, gathering more into their company. Puffy had built a "vacation home" that she stayed in more than her actual house. Quackity came trudging over one evening, exhausted, but proudly brandishing his divorce papers. As everybody gathered for dinner one night, Phil looked around the table, taking in the smiling faces and cheerful banter. Tension within the family was still there, but Phil could feel it disappear by the day. Time would heal them, and it had already begun. He smiled, allowing himself to finally relax. He loved his family, both blood and extended.


End file.
